Hidden Valley (D. SWING)

XI. In The Dark

"So you do that as like a full-time thing," Cynthia asks me in questioning of how I make my money through being a disc jockey at parties.

Her existence is echoing, though t isn't in my head this time. Her voice, her smile, her humming as she thinks... It's all in reality. We sit together on a bench, outside of the theatre, finishing the regular sized soft drink purchased amongst her request upon our arrival. Seeing a movie with someone is only this fun with the right people. Cynthia is the right person. She's smart, she's funny, and the honey flirted with the geek at the ticket-booth until he almost gave us the tickets for free. Even when it isn't initially offered, Cynthia's going to find a way to get what she wants. She's always been a brat but an ambitious one.

"Yeah, until I get to New York."

Our thighs touch as we relax in the seat. "That's cool. I'd love to get out of this place," she says. My arms stretch out on both sides of the bench, extending my full wingspan. "You'll get to see all those fancy, pretty buildings every night you go to sleep and be a star with thousands of girls dying to just look in your eyes."

"As much fun as a bunch of groupies sound," I laugh to myself at my statement's beginning, "The best part sounds like the music to me. I mean, can you even imagine a whole entire room just rocking to something me and the guys did? I wanna' be big like Prince and Michael— I wanna' bigger than Prince an' Michael... That's only in my dreams though because nobody'll ever top them two."

Cynthia scoffs, lifting her lips from her straw. Her neck swivels create a route for her sass to contribute to her compliment. "Boy, you can be bigger than anybody you wanna' be bigger than. Don't limit yourself like that."

I chuckle, my head dropping in a bashful attempt of saving face from being exposed for smiling too hard. "It's funny to hear somebody other than Letty talk to me like that," I laugh to myself aloud. "I 'preciate that though, Cynthia. I really do." My eyes fall on my watch after catching a glimpse of the setting sun. "I actually have to be back for dinner... We should get going."

Guiding Cynthia to the car is a breeze as we beeline ourselves through the parking lot, laughing at the minor jokes made on the way to my car. Inside, Cynthia's eyes bounce between me and the floor as I adjust the station before pulling out of the parking lot. "'Cause, baby, I can feel the heat and rockin' tonight... Just for me and you. Gotta' lock into the love key," the radio mildly sings, allowing me to settle on a song I like. "Baby, come on to the Groove of Midnight... Very more one, sweet desire. Wellcome on moon by moonlight..." I pull my hand back from the radio, not being able to take Cynthia's darting eyes much longer upon putting my car's hear into the position for driving her home.

"Are you okay," I ask.

Cynthia inhales sharply, a weak smile appearing. "I'm fine. I had a lotta' fun..." Her words trail off with a pause of uncertainty, leaving me to wonder what'll come next. Cynthia cuts ties to my wondering thoughts. "Uh, can I ask you a personal question?"

I shrug my shoulders without much thought going into my reply. My own tunnel vision breaks as I glance at her, making a halt at a local stoplight. "I guess so." I fight the urge to block my gear shift only to miserably fail. A trauma born physical response kicks in and my hand rests around the stick without any true reason, guarding it from the possibility of being taken into Cynthia's stole possession.

"Are you seeing anybody right now?"

My body tightens in my seat. The light turns green and I pushed down my wooden leg to push the car forward, eliminating the chances of Cynthia realizing how much she caught me off guard.

I don't think that is a personal question but I didn't expect her to ask me something along those lines. I can answer or I can choose to not answer. I don't know of a nice way to tell somebody, 'You ran off my first love but we still talk and I'm holding out for her as long as I can.' I don't think what me and Marlene have going on will ever be her business ever again, even though it barely was to begin with. I doubt Marlene wants Cynthia to know anything about what she's up to these days and I don't want to tell her. The further I keep her away from my love life is the only way I'll walk away from her today with any sort of piece of what is left of my mind.